The project (construction and partial fitting of the building with new equipment) will cost 20 million and will be financed from the hospital's own resources. The modular, two-story building will become a part of the hospital complex at pl. Hirszfelda in place of a ground-floor barrack, which now serves as a warehouse. The project is almost finished. They will house new rooms for patients, as well as diagnostic and treatment rooms. The entire radiotherapy will be moved from the basements of the hospital to the new building.
The fastest treatment of breast cancer
Breast Diseases Unit team has been gradually established in the LSOH. This is a modern system of treatment and diagnosis, which relies comprehensive cancer treatment at all stages of the disease, from diagnosis to surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and system treatment, to the help of a plastic surgeon, physiotherapist and psychologist. From the beginning, the patient is taken care by the therapeutic team, including a surgeon oncologist, chemotherapist, radiologist, radiation oncologist, physiotherapist, and psychologist. Also, the nurses are specially trained to care for a breast cancer patient. From the start, she is under the care of one coordinator doctor who oversees all.
What is most important, the Breast Unit provides faster treatment - it takes a maximum 14 days from the end of diagnosis to surgery, and the average is eight days (previously the patients had to wait 3 months). An example of the introduced changes is a 46 year old Mrs. Katarzyna, with whom the family doctor noticed suspicious changes in a breast during an ultrasound on April 23 and sent to see an oncologist. "I've already had my surgery and I look forward to the results and further treatment proposals" she says.
"Creating a Breast Unit-type centre in one place will improve both the quality of treatment and its results. We have a great team, the equipment not too bad either. The only thing we are missing is the new facility" stresses Dr. Adam Maciejczyk, director of the DCO. According to Prof. Rafal Matkowski, who directs the Breast Unit centre, the improvement of the treatment effect is really significant.
Specialists from the DCO point out that what is very important, the treatment and handling of patients is carried out with the least possible physical mutilation and optimum comfort. "Mastectomy is the last resort. Social approach of oncology surgeons and the patients is changing. What mattered once was only saving lives. Now, patients after breast cancer surgery also care for the appearance, their psychological comfort, and we want to help them as much as possible" says Dr Igor Madej.
Where are the Breast Unit centres
Such centres are common in many EU countries. The first were formed in the United States, Italy and Germany. For the time, one ready Breast Unit in Poland is in Szczecin, and now created is a centre in Warsaw. Treatment in such a system increases the chance of survival (lower mortality) and improves the patient's quality of life. The facilities will have, among others, fully equipped operating rooms, the ICU and the ability to perform histological tests and intraoperative mammography.